Popular Rack - A system made from the top five most popular modules

I just had the module list sorted by most popular and noticed the top row of modules seem to produce a fairly well-rounded system, and it comes out to 62hp.
I remembered Intellijel make a 62hp palette case, so here's what a system with the top 5 modules, top 1U modules (almost*) would look like.

I think it's pretty neat that it has a voice, FX, utils, sequencing and modulation. No real redundancies, and nothing really missing. Seems to me like a legit instrument you could jam out on. What do you think?

Would like to see someone build this system and give it a spin!

* Skipped the buff mult 1U for space, besides there's a mult in the case

EDITED Mar 2nd 2021, 13:47

why????

it's a very limited overly constrained beauty case

not a bad collection of modules as a starter set - there's a sound source, a modulation source, a sound modifier, something to it play with and a way to listen - but NO SPACE to expand into once you get bored (and you will do quickly)

also where are the vcas? hint they are in lots of ways the single most important modules/functions in a modular and there is only 1 in this rack embedded in plaits!!!!!

forget the horrifically expensive case and get a tiptop mantis or doepfer LC9 case and get the modules YOU want not what intellijel point you towards with their in built functions in the case

these cases are great for pulling a few modules from a significantly larger rack to focus on for a day or 2 - or make a video (see youtube & instagram influencers for reference) - but as starter cases, in my opinion and a lot of others, they absolutely suck!!

more research needed - much, much more!!!

I'm not saying this is a rack I'm going to build, I just thought it was interesting that the top five most popular modules happened to form a fairly coherent system.
Like, if you were to pick five modules at random, chances are you'd get 3 filters, a clock divider and a mixer or something like that, I just think it's pretty neat that this system is more useable than I would have expected

it's a miracle...

I'm a fan of small cases honestly, focus can help you learn a lot! Plus this could be a fun travel rack 🤔

EDITED Mar 3rd 2021, 00:09

I'm not saying this is a rack I'm going to build, I just thought it was interesting that the top five most popular modules happened to form a fairly coherent system.
-- Gaeel

I wouldn't call it that. Not for a minute. Why would you need eight clock/sequencer outs for a rig that has only one oscillator? How do you intend to do filtering without a filter? What basic function will you be putting the Disting to work on because it otherwise doesn't exist in this build? And do you really intend to manually control all of the audio dynamics with just the Stereo Out level control?

See, this thing might seem neat...but it's not a synthesizer. You're missing numerous capabilities that NEED to be there. And you're missing numerous utility modules and the like that would allow those five modules to REALLY do what they're capable of, to say nothing of missing things that should be in there in the first place, such as VCAs or at least one VCF. What this actually is is something which illustrates one of the bigger problems in modular at present, in my opinion: sexy module syndrome.

That's a term I cooked up to describe builds that contain lots of blinkenlichts und tvistenknobs...but which ONLY have those because the other things the builder in question omitted tend to be really sleepy-looking and don't do anything amazing. And this is something I consider to be a grave mistake, something along the lines of a carmaker leaving out all of the bolts and nuts because...hey, isn't this 500 horsepower V8 under the hood killer? Well...when the car falls apart with you in it and that V8 at full kick, that adjective will be very correct. Omitting necessary utilities and other "boring" modules is equally deadly...at least, to ones' creativity.

I see a lot of these "beauty case" (using Dieter's term there) builds. They invariably fall into two camps:

1) The builder manages to get an entire synth in there...but in the process, they've made it impossible to adjust one knob without bumping into two others, provided they can get their fingers into/out of the giant patchcord snarl now living on the control panel.

2) Builds like the thing above, where you get less than half a synthesizer for your half a case.

In short, this is no way to proceed, especially NOT for a starting synthesist. Please don't encourage this trend.

I love PNW for clocked LFOs and Envelopes - especially the skew - magical!

I see a lot of these "beauty case" (using Dieter's term there) builds. They invariably fall into two camps:

I've been using it too - maybe i got it from Dieter too, but I think I just started spontaneously using it

(I'm also really liking "rack wart" for power modules - especially the arturia one)

Please don't encourage this trend.

-- Lugia

hear, hear!!!